February 4, 2021 Emailed to: [email protected]

Honourable Ric McIver Minister of Transportation Legislature Office 320 Legislature Building 10800 - 97 Avenue, N. W. Edmonton, T5K 2B6

Dear Minister McIver:

Re: Considering a change to the transportation regulation that would allow school buses to travel at the posted speed limit

On behalf of the Pembina Hills School Division, I am writing to request a meeting with you to discuss a change to the transportation regulation that would allow school buses to travel at the posted speed limit.

Over the last year Pembina Hills has sent letters to government officials, presented to the Student Transportation Task Force, and was successful in gaining the support of 90% of school boards across the province in a position statement that advocates for this change. As we begin our planning for the next school year, we would like to realize the potential savings of this regulation change both in terms of dollars (our bus drivers are hourly employees) and the long bus ride times of our students. This regulation change would not result in any cost to the government.

Pembina Hills has research from other provinces and territories and data that we would like the opportunity to share with you and your staff. We have bus drivers’ supportive observations, and letters of support from our transportation partners: the Alberta Student Transportation Advisory Council and the Student Transportation Association of Alberta. The Student Transportation Association of Alberta (STAA) has been advocating for the Ministry of Transportation to review the speed limits that school buses can travel since 2002.

Transporting students safely to school is a priority of boards, and school bus drivers have an excellent safety record with many procedures to follow.

Alberta is the only province that has a transportation regulation that guides the speed of school buses. The regulation can be found in the Use of Highway and Rules of the Road Regulation Section 70. It states that school buses can only travel 90km/h or the posted speed limit, whichever is less. This means that school buses that travel on highways in our province could be travelling 10-20 km/hour slower than the moving traffic around them.

School bus drivers monitor road and weather conditions and adhere to signs just as any other driver. The Alberta regulation about speed only applies when the vehicle displays the word ‘School Bus’, if that is covered/removed they can travel the posted speed limit just like the rest of traffic.

Earlier references to regulations on a speed limit for school buses date back to 1979 which is forty years ago. Over forty years we have seen road improvements, an increasing number of vehicles on the road, and further safety measures on buses including, but not limited to, strobe lights, flashing lights, reflective tape, GPS and enhanced driver training.

How many Albertans are aware that buses must travel at this slower speed due to a regulation? This slower rate of speed can frustrate other drivers on the road. When school buses are on roads with faster moving traffic bus drivers report that motorists perform unsafe passing maneuvers, inappropriate hand gestures, honking and expletives. Bus drivers are made to feel they are impeding traffic due to their slower traveling speed and this creates hazards as cars look to pass.

If the province were to establish that school buses could operate at the posted speed limit, an added benefit would be a reduction in ride times. Students can spend over three hours a day on a bus traveling back and forth to school. Students and their families want to spend less time on the bus, preferring to be at home or involved in other activities. For example, in Pembina Hills when looking at data that compared what our bus ride times might be if buses could travel the posted speed limit, we could save approximately seven hours off our ride times every day, for our seventy bus routes. This has a big impact on many of our routes, as most drivers need to travel the highway to enter our towns. Students can spend this significant time in other ways and in other environments. Traveling at the posted speed limit would also shorten the time our students have to spend on the bus when traveling to field trips or sporting events.

There is no cost to the government for this change, but potential savings in time and money for school divisions and their families. We look forward to hearing from you, and welcome the opportunity to speak about a regulation change that will keep our students safe, and get them to their destination sooner.

Sincerely,

Jennifer Tuininga, Board Chair Pembina Hills School Division [email protected] Cell: 780-284-0971

JT/cew cc Honourable Adriana LaGrange, Minister of Education ([email protected]) Mr. , MLA Athabasca-Barrhead-Westlock ([email protected]) Mr. , MLA Lac Ste. Anne-Parkland ([email protected]) Mr. , MLA for Lethbridge-East - Student Transportation Task Force, Chair ([email protected]) Ms. Lorrie Jess, President of Alberta School Boards Association ([email protected])

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